Optimized bandwidth consumption is a well known problem in communication networks of today. Various solutions to keep down bandwidth consumption exist. The problem with unevenly distributed data is identified in the International Patent Application PCT/IB02/03353. The problem is solved by a user selecting delivery from at least two delivery classes: “deliver NOW” in real time or a specified “time delay delivery” whereby the “time delay delivery” class allows the network to send content at a time when the network is least utilized. In the US application 2002/0172222 a system administrator requests packet filtering based upon selected active users or active applications. A bandwidth history database is compiled from bandwidth usage data associated with multiple entities within a data processing system. In response to a requested action within the data processing system, bandwidth usage for the requested action can be predicted with reference to the bandwidth history database in order to change bandwidth consumption behaviour. The above solutions present drawbacks such as preventing needed delivery of services to receiving users, at any time.
Also within the Lawful Interception concept high bandwidth consumption problems arise when high bandwidth consuming Content of Communication like, for instance, IP-TV or broadcasting data is to be delivered to a monitoring function.
FIG. 1 belongs to prior art and discloses a solution for monitoring of Interception Related Information IRI and Content of Communication CC for the same target. The different parts used for interception belong to prior art and are disclosed in current Lawful Interception standards (see 3GPP TS 33.108 and 3GPP TS 33.107—Release 7). A Law Enforcement Monitoring Facility LEMF is connected to three Mediation Functions respectively for ADMF, DF2, DF3 i.e. an Administration Function ADMF and two Delivery Functions DF2 and DF3. The Administration Function and the Delivery Functions are each one connected to the LEMF via standardized handover interfaces HI1-HI3, and connected via interfaces X1-X3 to an Intercepting Control Element ICE in a telecommunication system. Together with the delivery functions, the ADMF is used to hide from ICEs that there might be multiple activations by different Law Enforcement Agencies. The messages sent from LEMF to ADMF via HI1 and from the ADMF to the network via the X1 interface comprise identities of a target that is to be monitored. The Delivery Function DF2 receives Intercept Related Information IRI from the network via the X2 interface. DF2 is used to distribute the IRI to relevant Law Enforcement Agencies via the HI2 interface. The Delivery Function DF3 receives Content of Communication CC, i.e. speech and data, on X3 from the ICE. Requests are also sent from the ADMF to a Mediation Function MF3 in the DF3 on a Handover Interface HI_3. The requests sent on HI_3 are used for activation of Content of Communication, and to specify detailed handling options for intercepted CC. In Circuit Switching, DF3 is responsible for call control signaling and bearer transport for an intercepted product. Intercept Related Information IRI, received by DF2 is triggered by Events that in Circuit Switching domain are either call related or non-call related. In Packet Switching domain the events are session related or session unrelated.
The access method for the delivering of Packet Data GPRS Support Node GSN Intercept Product is based on duplication of packets without modification at 3G GSN. The duplicated packets with additional information are sent to DF3 for further delivery via a tunnel. In currently provided DF3 architecture in the lawful interception solution, when a LEMF is interested in receiving the service contents of the target subscriber, the LEMF must be able to receive and decode high bandwidth consuming Content of Communication for service like IP-TV or broadcasting, which may be as high as Gbits of information per second. This requires the LEMF to handle/consume high bandwidth also when media content is considered as non-meaningful for LI investigation purposes (e.g. encrypted attachments in MMS/SMS, bandwidth and processing capacity consuming multimedia contents).